Can u lay on your stomach while pregnant

Is It Bad to Sleep on Your Stomach While Pregnant? – 8 Sheep Organics

If you’re a natural stomach sleeper, you may find it difficult to transition to side sleeping or even back sleeping when you’re carrying a little one in your belly.

But, outside of comfort and personal preference — is it actually bad to sleep on your stomach while you’re pregnant?

Here at 8 Sheep, we’ve created a guide with some tips for mothers-to-be who are also natural belly sleepers. We’ll cover what you need to know, including whether or not you can sleep on your stomach, how long you can sleep on your stomach, and some other sleep positions to consider as you progress through your pregnancy.

Finding a comfortable sleep position can be challenging with your growing baby bump, and not every position will work for you. Hopefully this article helps you find the optimal sleeping position for you to get comfortable!

Is It Safe To Sleep on My Stomach While Pregnant?

The short answer is yes, during the earlier stages of pregnancy.

Sleeping on your stomach is generally very safe early in your pregnancy (e.g. during the first trimester and beginning of the second trimester), but it may become more difficult and very uncomfortable the farther along you are and your abdomen grows rounder.

If you’re still in the first few months of pregnancy and you find sleeping on your stomach is comfortable and gets you the best night’s rest, then go for it! But as your pregnancy progresses, you most likely won’t find it as comfortable anymore, and you may find that sleeping on your side is the new way to go.

When Should I Change Sleeping Positions?

Michael Kasovick, MD, recommends that women around 20 weeks of pregnancy start to transition to lying on their sides as their belly begins to really expand. Before then, you can sleep in any position you find comfortable.

What Sleeping Positions Are Not Recommended During Pregnancy?

Around the third trimester is when sleeping positions will really make a difference in how comfortable you are when you sleep. While side sleeping is recommended and stomach sleeping just isn’t really all that comfortable, back sleeping is the only position that should be avoided entirely, starting in your third trimester.

Back Sleeping

Although it may be surprising since your back is opposite your baby bump, doctors do not recommend sleeping on your back, especially later in your pregnancy.

Lying on your back is not recommended because the weight of the growing baby can put heavy pressure on a major vein called the inferior vena cava (IVC), which runs parallel to your spine on the right side. It has the important job of returning blood from your lower body to your heart for reoxygenation, and increased pressure from the weight of your baby can disrupt that important process.

When you lay on your back, you may also feel increased pressure on your actual back muscles, too, which can both be uncomfortable while trying to sleep, and cause muscle aches by the time you wake up.

Here are some of the other possible symptoms that may arise if you sleep on your back during the third trimester:

Low blood pressure
Difficulty breathing
Problems with circulation
Digestion issues

While these symptoms have the potential to result in pregnancy complications before or during delivery, the risk can be easily mitigated as long as you make a conscious effort to avoid back sleeping.

If you wake up and find you’ve slept on your back, don’t worry — just readjust to a side sleeping position and get back to sleep. If you’re getting up for the day, do so slowly, and try to gently stretch your back and legs to help boost circulation before you actually get up and moving.

And always remember: your OB-GYN is there to guide you whenever you have questions. Don’t be afraid to voice any concerns you may have, especially if you find you’re waking up on your back every morning even though you make an effort to sleep on your side.

What Are the Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy?

If you find yourself prone to sleeping on your stomach, you may find that using a stomach sleeping pillow with an area cut out for your belly can make it more comfortable.

Side sleeping is also okay — one study shows that sleeping on either side during pregnancy is safe. That said, you’ll see a lot of recommendations for sleeping on your left side, especially in later parts of pregnancy, because it can help maintain good blood flow.

When you ensure the best blood flow to your uterus and the rest of your body, you’re ensuring that nutrients are going where they’re most needed. Good circulation also helps to prevent swelling, varicose veins, and even hemorrhoids.

Laying on your left side also alleviates some pressure from being put on the IVC since that vein runs along the right side of your spine to bring deoxygenated blood back to your heart for reoxygenation.

Here are some sleeping position ideas for sleeping on your left side:

Place one pillow between your knees and one under your abdomen to create a slight tilt that makes it more comfortable to side sleep.
Place a pillow behind your back for extra support
Invest in a pregnancy pillow to easily do both of the above!

Pregnancy Pillows

When you’re pregnant and struggling with sleep, investing in a pregnancy pillow could be your ticket back to Dreamland.

Pregnancy pillows are dense, U-shaped pillows that provide support on all sides of your body as you lie in the middle of the U. Because of the shape, pregnancy pillows can support your back, serve as in-between support for your knees/legs, and support your head, all in one.

How To Sleep Like a Baby When You’re Expecting One

When you’re pregnant, the last thing you want is to have trouble sleeping when your body is already going through so many changes.

If you’re looking for other ways to have a more restful sleep beyond just sleeping positions, here are some other tips that should help:

Staying hydrated — this is especially important if you’re experiencing morning sickness, which can easily put you behind on your liquid intake for the day.
Avoid GI-upsetting foods in the evening and at night — too many spicy, fried, or acidic foods can cause heartburn and general stomach discomfort, which can end up keeping you up!
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine — this is a great time to do some self-pampering and relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing; we recommend our Organic Sleepy Body Lotion to help you wind down — it can help relieve muscle aches, leg cramps, and restless legs so you feel relaxed and calm as you prepare for bed.
Gently exercise during the day — while you don’t need to go running any laps around the neighborhood, daily yoga, light swimming, or even a walk around the neighborhood can make for a deeper sleep.

Summary

At 8 Sheep, we know how many changes you and your body are going through, and the last thing you need is to struggle to sleep comfortably, then wonder whether or not that comfy position you’ve finally found is safe for you and your little one.

While it’s not inherently bad to sleep on your stomach, it just won’t be comfortable, and you’ll find that side sleeping with a pregnancy pillow for support will be your best bet for a good night’s rest that keeps your blood flowing and pressure to a minimum.

The one position that should be avoided during later pregnancy is back sleeping — this puts a lot of pressure on an important vein, on your back muscles, and just on your body in general. Avoid this as much as you can, and if you find that you’ve woken up on your back, just readjust to a safer position.

If you’re a dedicated stomach sleeper and you can’t seem to adjust, or if you think a lack of sleep is becoming an issue, make sure to talk to your healthcare provider so they can work with you on possible solutions that can help you get a good night’s rest!

Good luck!

Sources:

Should pregnant women avoid sleeping on their backs? | Ohio State Health & Discovery

Prospective Evaluation of Maternal Sleep Position Through 30 | Obstetrics & Gynecology

Sleep position in pregnancy Q&A

Tommy's PregnancyHub

In the third trimester of pregnancy going to sleep on your side has been shown to help prevent stillbirth.

In the third trimester our advice is to go sleep on your side because research has shown that this is safer for baby. This includes night sleep and day time naps.

Can I sleep on my back during pregnancy?

Research has shown that in the third trimester (after 28 weeks of pregnancy) going to sleep on your back increases your risk of stillbirth. As the link has now been shown in four separate research trials, our advice is to go to sleep on your side in the third trimester because it is safer for your baby. The advice relates to any episode of sleep, including:

going to sleep at night
returning to sleep after any night wakenings
day time naps.

We don’t want you to become anxious about this. If your pregnancy is uncomplicated your risk of stillbirth is low (1 in 200 babies are stillborn). Going to sleep on your side will make it even lower.

How reliable is the research?

The research linking going to sleep on your back to stillbirth is very reliable. Four case control research studies (in which information from women who have had a stillbirth is compared with information from women who have not) have been carried out into maternal sleep position and stillbirth and all have shown that there is a link.

What if I wake up on my back during the night?

The research has been focused on position going to sleep, not position during the night. If you wake up on your back, just settle back to sleep on your side.

We cannot control our position when we are asleep and a large bump is likely to be uncomfortable enough to prevent you from being on your back for long during the night. We also know that the position we go to sleep in is the position we spend the longest amount of time in during the night.

What could cause the increased risk of stillbirth?

Sleep position in the third trimester is important because if you are on your back the combined weight of baby and womb puts pressure on other organs in your body.

Researchers do not know for certain what exactly is causing the increased risk of stillbirth, but we already know the following, which could play a part :

When sleeping/lying on your back the baby and womb put pressure on the main blood vessels that supply the uterus and this can restrict blood flow/oxygen to the baby.
Further recent studies have shown that when a woman lies on her back in late pregnancy (compared to lying on side) the baby is less active and has changes in heart-rate patterns. This is thought to be due to lower oxygen levels in the baby when the mother lies on her back.

Does it make a difference which side I sleep on in pregnancy?

There are many websites that tell you that the left side is best to sleep on during pregnancy. This is for the following reasons:

One of the smaller research studies, from Auckland, New Zealand, showed that women who sleep on their left side on the last night of pregnancy halved their risk of stillbirth compared to those who slept on their right. However, the same finding has not been seen in any other trial (there have been three other published research studies since then).
Sleeping on your left has been shown to help your kidneys to get rid of waste products and fluids from your body.

Therefore, while sleeping on your left side has not conclusively been shown to reduce your risk against sleeping on your right, there are reasons that you might choose to do so.

Tips for sleeping on your side in pregnancy

Put pillows behind you to prevent falling on your back. It won’t prevent you being on your back for certain but is likely to make it more uncomfortable.
If you have long hair, try tying it in a low bun, which may make it uncomfortable to sleep on your back for any length of time.
If you wake up for any reason during the night, check your position and go back to sleep on your side.
If you are likely to nap during the day pay the same attention to sleep position during the day as you would during the night.

If you're finding sleeping on your side difficult because of SPD/PGP, try these tips.

In the early days of pregnancy it is fine to sleep on your stomach. Your bump will not start showing until the second trimester and sleeping on your stomach is unlikely to be uncomfortable. In the third trimester, you will have a large bump and it is very unlikely that you would choose this position. However, if you do wake up on your stomach, don’t worry, just roll onto your side.

Heazell AEP, Li M, Budd J, Thompson JMD, Stacey T, Cronin RS, Martin B, Roberts D, Mitchell EA, McCowan LME. Association between maternal sleep practices and late stillbirth – findings from a stillbirth case-control study. BJOG2017; https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.14967.

Stacey T1, Thompson JM, Mitchell EA, Ekeroma AJ, Zuccollo JM, McCowan LM.
Association between maternal sleep practices and risk of late stillbirth: a case-control study. BMJ. 2011 Jun 14;342:d3403. doi: 10.1136/bmj.d3403.

Gordon A1, Raynes-Greenow C, Bond D, Morris J, Rawlinson W, Jeffery H. Sleep position, fetal growth restriction, and late-pregnancy stillbirth: the Sydney stillbirth study. Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Feb;125(2):347-55. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000627.

Lesley ME, McCowan LME, Thompson JMD, Cronin RS et al (2017) Going to sleep in the supine position is a modifiable risk factor for late pregnancy stillbirth; Findings from the New Zealand multicentre stillbirth case-control study. PLOS One https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179396

Jeffreys RM, Stepanchak W, Lopez B, Hardis J, Clapp JF, 3rd. Uterine blood flow during supine rest and exercise after 28 weeks of gestation. BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology. 2006 Nov;113(11):1239-47

Khatib N, Weiner Z, Beloosesky R, Vitner D, Thaler I. The effect of maternal supine position on umbilical and cerebral blood flow indices. European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology. 2014 Apr;175:112-4.

Stone PR, Burgess W, McIntyre JP, Gunn AJ, Lear CA, Bennet L, et al. Effect of maternal position on fetal behavioural state and heart rate variability in healthy late gestation pregnancy. The Journal of Physiology. 2017 Feb 15;595(4):1213-21.

Murray I, Hassall J. 2014. Change and adaptation in pregnancy. In: Marshall J, Raynor M. eds. Myles Textbook for Midwives. 16th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 143-177

Is it possible to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy

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Many girls like to sleep on their stomachs, moreover, many of them can fall asleep only in this position. When planning a future pregnancy, many people have reasonable questions about whether it is possible for pregnant women to sleep in this position and for how long can this be done? Obstetrician-gynecologist EMC Olga Panfilova answers these and other questions. nine0005

Can I sleep on my stomach in the first trimester?

Of course, for good health and mood, a calm and complete rest at night is very important. This is especially true for a woman who is expecting a baby, because it is she who often has problems with sleep, not least related to the positions that she usually takes in a dream. Including the posture on the stomach. However, in the early stages of pregnancy, you can safely continue to do this. The uterus is still so small and, moreover, so well protected by the bones of the pubis, that this position of the body is not capable of causing any harm to the developing baby. If the usual posture began to cause you discomfort, then most likely this is due to the so-called inflection of the uterus, which occurs due to the fact that the tissues of this organ soften, especially in the isthmus zone. Another cause of inconvenience may be the mammary glands, which begin to gradually increase in size, become painful. If you're having similar problems, it's time to find more comfortable sleeping positions, such as trying to fall asleep lying on your back. And even better already in the early stages to accustom yourself to sleep on your side. You will definitely appreciate the benefits of the newly acquired habit later, when your stomach has reached such a size that even the very thought of trying to sleep on it seems ridiculous. nine0005

Can I sleep on my stomach in the second trimester?

In the second trimester of pregnancy, the expectant mother can already boast of a voluminous belly, which means that the baby inside has grown up. And even if it is reliably protected by the membranes, amniotic fluid, the muscles of the uterus and the press, laying on the stomach, you still put pressure on the baby. And just imagining that you are lying on your child, you are unlikely to be able to sleep peacefully. At this stage of pregnancy, you can still sleep on your back, but it is best to lie on your side, so you arrange your stomach as comfortably as possible. nine0005

Can I sleep on my stomach in the third trimester?

In the third trimester of pregnancy, sleeping on the back of the expectant mother is no longer recommended. The growing uterus puts extra pressure on the blood vessels behind the abdomen. When you lie on your back, this pressure interferes with the normal circulation of blood that should flow to your baby from the lower part of your body. You yourself can feel how uncomfortable this position is by noticing that it becomes difficult for you to breathe when you lie on your back. nine0005

The only acceptable sleeping position at this stage of pregnancy is the side position. To improve blood circulation, it is better to raise your legs a little: when you lie on your side, place a pillow under your upper leg. To facilitate the work of the kidneys and improve the outflow of bile, it is optimal to sleep on the left side. But if you are worried about discomfort in the region of the heart, it is better to roll over to the right. Many women claim that special pillows for pregnant women bring great relief, providing the most comfortable position for the whole body during sleep. nine0005

Detailed answers to the most burning questions during pregnancy you can get within the framework of the School of Moms EMC

How to sleep during pregnancy

It is difficult to overestimate the role of sleep in the life of every person. A complete healthy rest allows you to fully restore the functioning of the nervous system, relieve stress, improve performance and increase activity. Chronic sleep deprivation is the cause of many diseases. What can we say about a woman who is at the stage of bearing a baby. During this period, more than ever, she needs a healthy, long and full sleep. However, unfortunately, it is during this period that one can only dream of a restful sleep. nine0005

As soon as a woman finds out about her new situation, she has to give up a lot for the sake of the health of her unborn baby. And you need to give up not only bad habits: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, but also from a comfortable sleep.

The cause of insomnia can be :

Anxiety;
Frequent urination;
Fears and phobias before a new stage of one's life;
Nervousness and irritability;
Digestive disorder; nine0040
Toxicosis;
Physical indisposition;
Uncomfortable posture.

During the period of bearing a child, the female body experiences an extraordinary load, especially in the last trimester. The need for more sleep increases, because the body expends much more energy. Therefore, healthy sleep and pregnancy are inextricably linked.

As soon as a woman finds out about her new position, she has to give up a lot for the sake of the health of her unborn baby. And you need to give up not only bad habits: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, but also from a comfortable sleep. nine0005

Let's try to figure out how to sleep during pregnancy, so as not only not to harm the health of your unborn baby, but to sleep well.

Looking for a comfortable sleeping position

Each person has his own favorite position, in which it is easy to fall asleep and sleep. Many do not imagine a comfortable rest on their backs, accustomed to sleeping on their stomachs. This habit will have to be sacrificed, as it is unsafe for the normal development of the fetus. If in the first three months of pregnancy a woman can still sleep in the position in which she is used to and feels comfortable, then after the first trimester the growing belly will not allow her to lie safely in this position. Despite the natural protection of the baby in the form of amniotic fluid, there is a high probability of injuring the baby in a dream, squeezing it. But what is the right way to sleep during pregnancy? nine0005

Back position

Even if you are used to sleeping in a Spartan position, on your back, with your arms spread wide, from the 28th week you will have to radically change your lifestyle. The fact is that as the fetus grows, the load on the intestines and vena cava will increase significantly, blocking the access of oxygen to the baby.

If you sleep on your back during pregnancy, you may experience the following problems:

Dizziness;
Nausea;
Convulsions;
Numb limbs;
Pressure reduction;
Hemorrhoids;
Heaviness of breathing.

If you feel these symptoms or the baby gives persistent signals, you need to urgently change your position, so squeezing the vena cava is fraught not only with poor health for the mother, but also with a lack of oxygen supply to the fetus. nine0005

Stomach position

One of the most beloved positions for many people, which allows you to quickly fall asleep while hugging a pillow. Many women, as soon as they find out about the change in their lives, are interested in the question, is it possible to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy? Doctors recommend abandoning this position already in the first weeks, even before the enlarged belly makes it impossible to fall asleep peacefully.

If you are afraid during sleep, without controlling your movements, to arbitrarily roll over on your stomach, you can put a large pillow that does not allow you to change position. nine0005

Side position

In order to normalize your sleep and not harm the health of the baby, experts recommend sleeping on your side during pregnancy. And if at first this option seems unacceptable to many, after the second trimester, lying on your side is the only possible one. But here the question arises, on which side to sleep in order to ensure the safety of the fetus?

Sleeping on the right side can cause squeezing of the kidney, which can have dire consequences. The ideal posture is lying on the left side. Thus, you not only do not injure the unborn baby, but also improve blood flow along with oxygen to the placenta. nine0005

But one should not ignore the individual characteristics of each organism and the position of the fetus in the uterus. When the baby is in a transverse position, choose the side where the baby's head is. And with a breech presentation, doctors recommend changing the position several times a night.

If you still cannot improve your sleep, you feel unwell and you are tormented by insomnia, then it is better to consult a specialist. A good gynecologist will analyze the situation and help solve the problem. If necessary, he will prescribe a safe sedative that stabilizes the emotional state and helps to fall asleep calmly, resting and restoring the nervous system in a dream. nine0005